Is coffee bad for pregnancy?

Tired moms-to-be that drink coffee to help coping with their busy schedules should get advice about coffee consumption since a new study suggesting that drinking coffee increases the chance of miscarriage has been published. The idea that caffeine consumption is linked to higher rates of miscarriage is not new, but critics said the observations could be biased because some pregnant women reduce their caffeine intake because of morning sickness. 1063 women early in their pregnancies were interviewed about their caffeine consumption recording those who changed their drinking patterns and those who didn’t. All participant women were followed to 20 weeks of pregnancy or until miscarriage. Increased risk of miscarriage was associated to consumption of 200 milligrams or more of caffeine per day (just over one cup of coffee). The effect was the same with plain coffee or other caffeine-containing beverages such as fizzy drinks, tea and hot chocolate. The research team, who published thair work in the American Journal ofObstetrics and Gynecology (DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.10.803), said that caffeine constricts blood vessels, and this effect may be restricting blood flow to the placenta. They say it is also possible that caffeine may have a toxic effect on the fetus. Although the conclusion is not firm, they suggest pregnant women to avoid caffeine during pregnancy. “It’s not a big sacrifice”, after all.
Adapted from newscientist.com